GN Resound Alera 5 RIC

I suffered from severe giddy attacks for a number of years, with the result that in my early fifties I lost most of the hearing in my right ear and some in my left ear.

I worked as a midwife for the NHS and through Occupational Health I soon got a NHS hearing aid, analogue, for the right ear. It helped a little, not great. Things came to a head at work when I failed to hear the emergency bell. I thought it best to retire early.

Later I had some NHS digital hearing aids, which were a big improvement on the analogue hearing aid.

When my husband retired some years later he bought me private aids. (Probably for his benefit as much as mine.) As I was going to spend £3.000 – £4.000 I shopped around.

One company did not impress me no real interest in my hearing problems. Another was not very personal. I ended up buying my aids from the third supplier. The technician made me feel that he was really interested in helping me and was very thorough in his investigations, explaining to me my particular problem.

I was issued with two aids, One, the worse ear, had a mould and behind the ear. The other ear had a tube connection with a dome, also behind the ear.

These hearing aids were a great improvement. Nobody has ever noticed the aid behind the ear as my hair covers it. I use the loop system which is great. The button that is supposed to reduce other noise when in a crowd seems to do nothing.

Recently one of my aids squeaked all the time and I was persuaded by the technician to update my hearing aids. I now have two dainty little aids also behind the ear. A lot of trouble and care was given at the suppliers with four follow up visits. Both ears have the dome. The papers I have here say GN Resound Alera 5 RIC.

Life would be much harder without these aids but they are only aids perhaps my expectation was too much. The squeaky one was repaired at no cost as I was buying new hearing aids.

For me the private aids are much better than the NHS. I am hoping that the four hearing aids I now have will last me many years. They are expensive but such a help.

My one problem with wearing hearing aids is the itching. Some times it drives me crazy. Anyone got any ideas on this?

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Hello, my name is Paul Minikin and I am the managing director / owner of the Digital Hearing Care Solutions Ltd group of companies. The group incorporates Digital Hearing Care (concerned with the independent private supply of the best hearing aid technology available), HAB.online (a major online supplier worldwide of all manner of hearing aid related accessories) and FM Hearing Systems (one of the main suppliers of radio aid systems into the UK workplace).